Coin controlled apparatus



June 28, 1 938. E. SIRP I COIN CONTROLLED APPARATUS Filed July 11, 1936 A 7!!! VIIIIIIIII rill!!! LIN A TTORNE) Patented June 28, 1938 Sirp, Downers Grove, 11]., assignor to Westem Electric Company, Incorporated, NewvYork,

N. Y., a corporation of NewYork ApplicationJuly 11, 1936, Serial No. 90,'077' I x7. Claims.

This invention relates to coin controlled apparatus, and more particularly to telephone coin collectors for use at public pay stations.

In certain types of telephone coin collectors a 4 person desiring to use the equipment tentatively deposits a coin in the instrument and the coin is-subsequently collected or refunded by the central ofiice operator, dependingupon whether or not the desired telephone connection is obtained. An instrument of this type is disclosed in O. F. Forsberg U. S. Patent 1,043,219; issued November- 5 1912. 'In this apparatus *thedeposited coin is temporarily held upon a'counterweighted coin trap-which is normally supportedby a pivoted vane under the control of an electromagnet. The pivoted vane is moved by the electromagnet in one direction to collect the deposited coin'and in the opposite direction to refund the coin responsive tothe direction in which the current is made to; flow through the electromagnet.

Operation of the counterweighted trap when the supporting vane is moved is dependent upon the-Weight of the coin thereon.- Accurate construction and adjustmentof the trapmembers control the introduction of current to the component apparatus when a 'coin is deposited.

Structures of this type are disclosed in J. M.

Melick, U. S. Patent 1,984,536, issued December 18;"1934, and in thecopending application of MJL. Landreth, Serial No."9'0,085, filed July 11, 1936. In both of these'mechanisms the coin trap is normally positioned outof' contact with the pivoted coin directing vane and'the trap is depressed against the vane bythe weightof a de posited coin to complete electrical circuits. Satisfactory operation of this'type of apparatus requires the certain maintenance ofthe trap in its 1 normal position and positive return of the-trap to its-normal position at the end or its cycle. r

An object of this invention is toprovide an operating improved coin controlled apparatus of eflicient and positive operation. I L

In accordance with the above object there is provided in one embodiment ofthe invention a coin controlled apparatus comprisinga hopper for receiving a deposited coin. apivoted trap-in (CI. 23.2-57.5) the hopper for temporarily arresting th'e -de posited coin, a hinged vane beneath the trap'for supporting the trap and directingthe deposited coin, an electromagnet for'factuating the coin directing vane, and cooperating-elements on the trap and the eleotromagnetfor actuating the trap positively. e

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken'in conjunction with the appended drawing, in which 3 Fig.1 is a fragmentary View, partly in section,

of the central portion of a telephone coin collector, embodying the invention, j Fig. '2 is a partial view of the apparatus-in Fig. 1 taken along the line 22; i

Fig.3 is a sectional view of Fig. 2 taken theline 3-3;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 2, taken along the line 4-4; i

5'is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing an al ternative embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 6 is a partial View of the mechanism shown in Fig. 5, taken along the line- 66.

In the operation of the type of telephone coin} collector to which this invention is particularly adapted, a person wishing to use the equipment inserts a 00min a coin gauge mounted on the instrument housing. The deposited coin'traverses a coin chute l5 terminating in a coin-hopalong per [6' and comes to rest on a coin trap l-Ii ex-' wherecoins are accessiblefrom outsideth'ecol v lector housing, and a collect chute 23 leading to a cash compartment within the housing.

' 'As' explained in the Forsberg patent-if the lvertical vane is 'moved'to' close the collect passageway, droppingof the trap under'the weight of the supported coin will allow the coin-to fall in the refund chute, While if the vaneis moved to close the refund chute, dropping ofv thetrap will allow the deposited coin to be'div'erted into the chute leading to the cash compartmentfi fI'he coin directing vane is actuated by an electromagnet 24' through an operating lever 25 connected to the electromagnetarmature and'engaging alink 26 secured to the vane and projecting through the hopper housing. The actuating lever is moved through an are by the electromag net-tomotate the: vane on its pivots It in a selec tive direction to collect or refund the coin deposited on the trap.

The apparatus so far described is similar to that disclosed in the Forsberg patent and one embodiment of this invention relates to supplementary means for positively actuating the coin trap.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the coin trap I! is pivoted on a horizontal shaft IS in the housing of the coin hopper I6. A portion 21 of the trap extends outside of the hopper through a suitable opening in the hopper hous-- ing. Two cams 28 and 29 are mounted on this extending portion of the trap and adapted to engage an arm 30 which extends horizontally from the electromagnet lever. The arm is welded or otherwise secured to the vertical electromagnet lever and bent into a horizontal position through a loop, providing a flexible contact between the arm and the cams. The two cams are similar in construction and are mounted symmetrically on a connecting bracket 3| with an opening 32 between them. The bracket is secured to the extending portion of the trap and the cams are arranged to cause engagement of the appropriate cam by the horizontal arm during the selectively independent movementsof the electromagnet lever.

Each cam has an elongated body portion 33 mounted on the bracket at an angle to the plane of the trap. When the electromagnet is operated to move the coin directing vane, the horizontal arm moves through an arc to the right or left and engages the undersurface of one of the cam bodies. The mounting and contour of each cam body is constructed to cause rotation of the trap on its pivot and thus insure release of the deposited coin. Depression of the trap is completed by the weight of the coin and after the coin is released from the trap the cam acts as a counterweight to partially restore the trap to its normal position.

At the outer end of each cam body is an. offset shoulder 34 which extends beyond and above the body portion of the cam on the bracket, which is located to clear the end of the moving actuating arm. By the time the coin is released from the trap, the actuating arm has reached the end of its stroke and the weight of the cams raises the trap sufiiciently to engage the under surface of the cam shoulder and the actuating arm. The under surface of the shoulder is formed to direct the actuating arm over the outer end of the cam body, causing the arm to engage the upper surface of the body on its return stroke, thus restoring the trap accurately to its normal position.

The unsupported end of the actuating arm is flexible due to the resilient type of mounting employed. The range of movement of the trap is v restricted and when the trap is returned to its cal mounting and adjustment of the cam members.

As stated above, in certain modified types of coin collectors the position of the coin trap is utilized to initiate coin signals and control electrical circuits. In these instruments the coin trap assumes a normal position out of contact with the roller on the vertical vane and is depressed against the roller by the weight of a deposited coin. The cams can readily be set to restore the trap to this normal position and the trap can be maintained in this elevated position by the weight of the cams, a supplementary counterweight, or other suitable means, as shown in copending application of W. A. Bockisch, Serial No. 90,087, filed July 11, 1936.

In one embodiment of the apparatus disclosed in the copending application of Landreth, previously referred to, the coin directing vane is actuated through a gear pinion and gear sector driven directly by the electromagnet armature. An adaptation of the present invention is particularly suitable for use-in this apparatus as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In this mechanism the vane 20 is actuated through a gear 35 secured to a horizontal shaft extension 36 of the pivot 2| on which the coin directing vane is mounted. The gear is driven by a gear sector 31 attached to the armature 38 of the electromagnet 39 for rotating the shaft and the vane in a selective direction as disclosed in the Landreth application.

The movement of the vane actuating shaft caused in this manner is utilized to operate the coin trap II by means of a cam 40 fixed to the vane actuating shaft and a cooperating arm 4| projecting in a downward direction from the rear portion of trap which is outside of the hopper housing. The cam 40 has two similar and separated sections with surfaces inclined to the vertical plane traversed by the trap arm 4| when the trap is tilted. The cam sections are symmetrical to this plane to insure the same movement of the trap when the cam shaft is selectively rotated in accordance with the direction of current flow in the electromagnet coil.

In its normal or elevated position the coin trap holds the connected arm 4| out of the plane of motion of the cam. The trap arm is positioned positively on the cam at the beginning of the operating cycle by means of a formed member 42 made of magnetic material which is pivotally mounted on the trap pivot l8 and has a portion 43 bent parallel and adjacent to one of the pole pieces 44 of the electromagnet employed to operate the mechanism. A fiat spring 45 of nonmagnetic material is riveted to the magnetic member and compressed against the adjacent pole piece to normally hold the member in a depressed position. When current is introduced to the electromagnet the pole piece becomes energized and attracts the adjacent portion 43 of the member, causing the member to rock upwards on its supporting shaft. A flange 46 projects from the member into the vertical plane of the trap actuating arm. When the member is pivoted by the electromagnet this flange engages the trap actuating arm and moves it in a counterclockwise direction between the opening in the cam sections and aligns thearm with the cam surface opposite the trap.

The magnetic member is light in weight and completes its movement before rotation of the cam shaft, which is delayed by the inertia of the component actuating mechanism and motion losses in the gear and gear sector, begins. As the cam rotates, its inclined surface moves the trap arm downward to depress the. trap and release the coin.

At the end of the forward stroke of the cam the electromagnet is released and the cam shaft is restored to its normal position as explained-in the Landreth application. The cam arm is flexible and is adapted to slide around the outerend of the cam at the termination of theforward stroke. 0n the return stroke the arm engages the surface of the cam nearest the hopper, which returns the arm and the trap to their normal positions. The

location of the trap actuating elements can be reversed to obtain equally satisfactory results.

tions consistently and also to guard effectively against any attempts at fraudulent use of the" By providing for the positive actuaapparatus. tion of all of the coin handling mechanism the possibility of faulty operation is reduced and utility of the apparatus improved.

Adaptations of the invention other than those shown in the specific structures disclosed herein are feasible and itis to be understood thatthe invention is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: v 1. In a telephone coin collector, a hopper for receiving a deposited coin, a hinged trap Within thev hopper for temporarily arresting the deposited coin, a pivoted vane beneath the trap for directingthe deposited coin, a cam on the trap, and common means for actuating the pivoted vane and the cam on the trap comprising an electromagnet having an armature, an operating member on the armature for engaging the vane, and anarm on the member for engaging the cam.

'2. In a coin controlled apparatus, a coin hopper, a pivoted member in the hopper for arresting a deposited coin, an arm on the member, a shaft, a cam mounted on the shaft for engaging the arm, and means connected to the shaft for moving the shaft and cam to actuate the memher.

3. A coin collector comprising a hopper for receiving deposited coins, a hinged trap in the hopper for arresting the deposited coins, a pivoted vane mounted beneath the trap on a rotatable shaft, a cam mounted on the shaft, an arm projecting from the trap for engagement with the cam, and means for rotating the shaft to actuate the vane and the trap.

4. In a telephone coin collector, a hopper for receiving a deposited coin, a hinged coin trap in the hopper, a pivoted coin directing member within the hopper, means for actuating the memher on its pivots, and cooperating cam elements on the trap and said actuating means for tripping thetrap to release the deposited coin and restoring the trap to its normal position.

5. In a coin controlled apparatus, a containe for receiving a deposited coin, a movable 'member associated with the container for receiving and temporarily arresting the coin, and means for moving the member to release "the coin and restore the member to its normal position comprising a cam on the member having a plurality of surfaces, an electromagnet, and an arm on the electromagnet adapted to engage the cam surfaces selectively when the electromagnet is oper ated. Y

6. A coin controlled apparatus comprising a hopper for receiving a deposited coin, a hinged member within the hopper for arresting the deposited coin, a cam on the member having a plurality of surfaces inclined to the plane of the member, an electromagnet, and an arm on the electromagnet adapted toengage one cam surface when the electromagnet is energized to pivot the member and release the coin and engage another surface of the cam when the electromagnetv is released to restore the member to its normal position. v

7. In a telephone coin collector, a hopper for receiving a deposited coin, a hinged trap in the hopper for arresting the coin, a coin directing vane mounted on a pivotal shaft in the hopper,

an electromagnet having a pole piece, an armature on the electromagnet operatively connectedto the shaft for rotating the shaft, a cam on the shaft, a camv arm on the trap for engaging the cam when the shaft is rotated, and a magnetic member pivoted adjacent to the cam arm and the pole piece for engaging and moving the arm into alignment with the cam when the electromagnet is energized. V v

' EMIL SIRP. 

